The present invention relates to reflectors for lights generally employed by professional photographers, and particularly relates to supporting structure for supporting such reflectors in the immediate area of photographic strobe lights.
In professional photography and graphic arts, indirect lighting effects are employed to produce reduced shadows and highlighting on a subject or area. The indirect lighting effects are commonly achieved by coupling an artificial light source such as an electronic flash or incandescent headlight to a diffuse reflector. The reflector is then situated so that the reflected light is directed onto the surface of the subject sought to be depicted. This light is often referred to as "bounce" light.
Bounce light is often achieved through the use of fabric reflectors which are fan-shaped or umbrella-shaped. The initial source of the bounce light is typically a flash or strobe which is mechanically connected to the center pole of the umbrella, the light being directed from the source toward the interior surface of the umbrella. The umbrella and source are then coupled to a stand or support which can be of a variety of shapes and heights and it is usually adjustable to suit various photographic situations. A representative example of an umbrella-type reflector is that shown in Waltz, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,374. Another example of an umbrella-type reflector, which is mechanically coupled to a camera, is shown in Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,535.
A fan-type reflector can be thought of as merely a portion of an umbrella-type reflector wherein the reflecting surface is supported on a plurality of radial arms extending outward from a laterally positioned yet central point which also provides an axis for a support for the fan-shaped reflector. Again, the source of light is coupled or arranged with respect to the fan reflector so that light from the source is directed initially toward the fan-shaped reflector and the reflected or bounce light is directed toward the subject sought to be photographed. An example of such a fan-shaped reflector is found in Heard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,405.
Planar reflectors having diffuse surfaces are also known in the prior art and used in connection with sources to achieve the desired diffuse bounce light. The character of the surface of such planar reflectors has to be carefully controlled to avoid any specular reflection which tends to highlight hard edges and not achieve the desired lighting effect. Such planar reflectors are usually self-supporting on stands which are situated adjacent to light sources so that the source of light is directed toward the planar surface to produce bounce light directed toward the object sought to be photographed. An example of a substantially planar light modifying screen is found in Henry, U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,804. Another example of a substantially planar light modifying screen mechanically coupled to a camera is found in Sloop, U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,170.
While each of the prior art devices has achieved the overall objective of providing bounce light which can be directed toward a subject, often the apparatus requires considerable manipulation and assembly in order to direct the light in the appropriate direction. Further, the devices are complicated to manufacture and often awkward to set up or assemble at the point of use. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to achieve a novel design for an indirect lighting reflecting which is easy to manufacture, compact when not in use, and simple to set up at the point of use.